Born at Mountmellick, Co. Queen's, Ireland, c.1836.
Enlisted into the 91st Foot at Dublin on the 28th of January 1850. Regimental No. 3044.
Age 14 years 4 months.
Height: 5' 6".
Trade: None.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Fair hair.
Attained the age of 15 years and on to "Man's Pay" from the 23rd of September 1850.
Transferred to the 13th Light Dragoons from Dover on the 31st of December 1850:
"Deserted" from Birmingham on the 1st of February and rejoined the regiment on the 17th of February 1854.
Tried by Court-martial at Newbridge on the 11th of June 1857 for "Disgraceful conduct" and awarded 30 days' imprisonment, with hard labour.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial for "insubordination" and imprisoned 6th of June — 10th of July 1857.
Transferred to the 17th Lancers on the 1st of September 1857. Regimental No. 101.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain " on the 8th of October 1857.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 17th of March for "having loaded his pistol with ball", and imprisoned from the 17th of March — 14th of April 1858.
The muster rolls for July-September 1858 show no actual service movements.
He was at the Chatham Invalid Depot from 16th of April 1861 and discharged on the 9th of May 1861:
"Unfit for further service. Has Chronic Encephalitis. Was invalided home from India on the 6th of January 1860 for Anaursis [?] — resulting from exposure to the sun on service in India. He has suffered from severe pain in the frontal region, with loss of vision and from nervous disability which has made him unfit for service."
Shown on the Regimental "Married roll" from the 4th of March 1862, his wife's name being Hephzibah. [PB: 1862? After discharge?]
Served 7 years 137 days, to count. In Turkey and the Crimea, 2 years. India, 2 years 1 month.
Conduct: "good". Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges.
Twenty times entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. Three times tried by Court-martial.
Aged 25 years 7 months on discharge.
Granted a pension of 1/- per day.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Can find no trace on the Mutiny medal roll.
A supplementary roll (undated) signed by Major Henry Holden shows him as having been issued with the Crimean medal (with clasps for Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman) on the 7th of October 1855.
To live in Derby after discharge, but he was living in Birmingham in 1875.
1881 Census
House 8, 11 Hope Street Court, Birmingham.
The 1881 Census shows his wife, Hephzibah McBrine, aged 46, as a Widow, born at Armitage, Stafford, living with three sons: Thomas, 18, born London, Harry, 14, born Toronto, Canada [PB: when & why was JB in Canada?], and Oscar, 6, born at Burton on Trent.